Fire-escape.



' PATENTBD JAN. 24, 1905. H. A. HANSEN & D. N. SINE.

v -PIRE ESCAPE.

rrLxoATzoN FILED rnB.24.19o4.

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#9, be f3 fj Wl TNESSE S Afro/mers I PATBNTED JAN. 24.1905. H. A. HANSEN & D. N. SIRB.

FIRE ESCAPE. A PPLIUATION lFILED FBB.24,1904.

4 mvg-10M Hans' Hnsel@ Arron/vir? PATENTED JAN. 24,1905, H. A. HANSEN & D. N. SIRE. FIRE ESCAPE.

v -APPLIGAL'ION FILED PEB.24'.1904.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

WITNESSES l A TTOHNEYS UNTTED STATES Patented January 24, 1905.

PATENT OEEICE.

HANS HANSEN AND DIDRIK N. SIRE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO CARL SPETLAND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,795, dated. January 24, 1905.

. Application filed February 24,1904. Serial No. 195,030.

To (LZZ whom, it weary concern:

Be it known that we, HANs A. HANSEN and DIDRIK N. SIRE, citizens of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire- Escapes, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to fire-escapes; and the object thereof is to provide an improved apparatus of this class which is designed to be connected with hotels, apartment-houses, and other buildings and by means of which any number of people may conveniently escape from such buildings whenever necessary.

The invention is fully disclosed in the fol-'- lowing specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the sepa.: rate parts of our improvement are-designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which- Figure l is a side View of our improved apparatus applied to a building for use, only a part of one Wall ofthe building being shown; Fig. 2, a front View thereof with windows indicated in dotted lines; Fig. 3, asectional side view showing a detail of the construction emv ployed and a part of the wallbf the buildings and parts of the window-openings therein. Fig. i is a sectional view' of a part of an airbrake apparatus which we employ, and Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

In the drawings forming part of this specicationwe have shown at a a part of a wall vof a building, and in Fig. 3'of the drawings two Window-openings a2 are shown,and in Fig.

2 windows are indicated in dotted lines.

In the form of construction shown the reescape is supposed to be applied to one of the outside courts with which large apartmenthouses, hotels, and similar structures as now made are usually provided, and in the practice of our invention, as shown in the drawings, we secure in the top of such a court or space beams or bars 6, over which are supported a main shaft 62 and two supplemental shafts l63, which are in the same horizontal shaft 62 by means of said sprocket-wheels and drive-chains 6, mounted thereon.

Each of the shafts 63 is provided with-two similar sprocket-wheels 67, and at the bottom of the court or space over which the shafts 62 and 63 are mounted are other wheels 68, similar to the wheels 67, said Wheels 68 being arranged in pairs, as are also the wheels 67, and two of the wheels 68 are arranged directly under two of the wheels 67 on the corresponding ends of the shafts 63, and mounted on each set of the wheels 67 and 68 are similar drive-chains c, to

which are vpivoted at regular intervals steps or supports c2, this connection being made by means of rods c3, which'extend through both l .sets of the chains c, and the steps or supports c2 are also connected with the chains c by means of supplemental iieXible supports c, which also preferably consist of small chains, and the free edges of the steps or supports c2 are providedwith lantifriction-rollers c5, this construction being best shown in Fig. 8.

Belowv each of the window-openings a2 vin the wall of the building are secured horizontal platforms ZZ, having braces d2, and these platforms consist of a bar C63, secured to the Wall of the building, as shown at cZf, and provided with a. sleeve CZ, with which the brace oZ2 is connected, and on the outer end of the bar Z3 is a supplemental sleeve ZZ7, which is free to slide 4on the bar Z3 and in the sleeve CZG.

YIt will be understood that the bars UZ3 of the' platforms CZ are arranged in pairs, and on the outer ends of the supplemental sleeves Z7 are secured a plate cZS, and the supplemental sleeves CZ 7, together with the plates CZS, are free to move inwardly and outwardly, and placed on the sleeves d and plate @ZS is a main plate or board or boards oZ, and suspended from the outer edge of the plate Z8 is a hanger c, pivotally connected therewith, as shown at e7, and placed in the outer end of the supplemental sleeve or sleeves CZ 7 is a spring e3, which serves to force the said supplemental sleeve or sleeves Z 7 outwardly and to hold the partis,

normally in the position shown in Fig. 3. A brace @f is also secured to the wall of the building and extends outwardly, and a hanger@ is pivoted thereto at e5, and said brace e* is provided with an arm e in the form of construction shown against which the bottom portion of the hanger e is adapted to abut, and said hanger is of a width equal to or substantially equal to the distance between the chains c, and said chains c, connected, as hereinbefore described, together with the steps or supports c2, make up an endless belt or member which is movable over the wheels 67 and as will be readily understood. The shaft b2 is also provided with a brake-drum f, in front of which is a supportfg, having an outwardlydirected armf, and to which is pivoted a lever f4, which is connected with the arm f3 by a spring f5, and secured to the shorter end of the lever f4 is a brake-springf, which passes around the drum f and is secured to the longer end of the lever f4, as shown in Fig. 1, and thelev'er f4 is provided with a cord or wire f7, which depends therefrom, and by means of which said lever may be operated from the ground or from any desired point, and by pulling down on said lever the spring f will operate on the drum f and control the movement of the shaft b2, and at the side of the drumf opposite the lever fAi is pivotally supported a pressure-equalizing shoe f, which when the lever f4 is not depressed will serve to relieve the drum f from the pressure of the spring f, and the object of the spring f 5 is to hold the lever 74 out of operative position, or, in other words, to permit the drum f to turn freely, this construction constituting a hand-operated brake. We also employ an automatic brake for the shaft Z22, and this brake is of the following construction: Suitably supported over the wall a and over the supports I) or arranged at any desired point are two air-cylinders g, provided with a single piston-rod g2, with the opposite ends of which are connected pistons g3, one of which works in each of said cylinders, and connected with the rod g2 is a crank-lever g", with which is connected a crank-rod g5, which is connected with a crank gG on the shaft b2.

Connected with the opposite ends of the cylinders g is a pipe Q7, which is placed in communication with a tank /t by means of connecting-tubes 7b2, connected by an elbowjoint h3, or in any desired manner, and one of said tubes /f is provided with a valve 7b4, adapted to be operated by cords or wires it, a pull on one of which will open said valve and a pull on the other close it, and these cords or wires may be operated from the ground or from any desired point.

The cylinders g are provided in their outer ends with an air-inlet port or passage c', as shown in Fig. 4, which is controlled by a valve 2, which opens inwardly and closes outwardly, and each of said cylinders is also provided in the same end with a valve i, which opens outwardly and closes inwardly, and these valves 3 form a communication with the pipe (/7.

The tank /t is provided with one or more pop-valvesj', and the operation of this automatic brake is as follows: As the shaft lf is turned the air is automatically compressed in the cylinders (y and forced through the pipe g7 and its connections into the tank t, and the valves 7' may be so regulated as to produce in said tank any desired pressure. lf at any time it is desired or becomes necessary, the valve 71,4 may be closed by one of the cords or wires L', and the communication between the cylinders g and the tank /1l will thus be eut oil', and this will stop the shaft 02.

It will be understood that the endless belt or member formed by the chains o and the steps or supports e2 is normally at rest and that portion of the steps or supports a adiacent to the wall of a building are always held horizontally, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and ready for use, and if at any time a person or persons desire to escape from the building such party or parties pass through the windows cf out over the horizontal platforms or supports (Z and step onto the steps or supports c2. This at once puts the endless member, comprising the chain c and the steps or supports c2, into motion, and this motion is continuous, but may be controlled either by the hand-brake or by the automatic brake, as hereinbefore described, and the motion of the endless belt, comprising the chain c and steps or supports is regulated at all times by the automatic brake and may be regulated by the hand-brake.

rlhe hangers e (shown in Figs. 1 and 3) are intended to prevent a person or persons from falling backwardly after stepping on the steps or supports c2, and if said person or persons were to fall backwardly at such time the upper portion of the adjacent hanger e would be forced, inwardly and the bottom thereof outwardly and said person or persons would be prevented from dropping to the ground.

In the form of construction shown we provide for the inner reach of the endless member, comprising the chain c and steps or snpports c2, a vertically-arranged casing Z, that part of which adjacent to the building is open, and this casing may be suspended from the beams or bars or in any desired manner, and said casing is provided at the sides thereof adjacent to the building with angular guides 7&2, in which the ends of the steps or supports c2 and the antifrietion -rollers e move, and this casing when employed will prevent a person or persons from falling oil' of the steps or supports except in the direction of the building, and the hangers e will prevent such person or persons from falling in the direction of the building, and by reason of the particular manner in which said hangers -llO IlO

are suspended they also serve to prevent aperson or persons from being caught between the descending steps or supports c2 and the outer edge of the platforms or supports d,

which are formed as hereinbefore described.

at the opposite side of said member or belt are in the position shown in Fig. l, and it will be apparent that any desired number of persons may escape from abuilding by means of our improved fire-escape, as the motion of the endless member may be continuous, as hereinbefore stated, and the motion thereof may be controlled, and parties desiring to escape from the building may step into said endless member continuously.

The cords or wires /L are connected with an arm m, secured to the valve 7a4, and by means of which said valve may be turned in either direction, and we also connect with this arm a spring n, which normally serves to hold the valve open, so that the air is free to4 pass from the cylinders g to the tank t, and by reason of this apparatus, which operates as an automatic brake, the movement of the endless member, with which the steps c2 are connected, is maintained at an equal and even speed at all times when the apparatus is in use.

Although we have shown and described our invention as applied to windows of a building, it will be apparent that the same may be applied to vertically-arranged doors or to any other outlets, and our invention is not limited to the use of the casing 71; nor to the use of the horizontally-arranged platforms d across which thosedesiring to escape from the building pass, as it will be apparent that the endless movable member, composed'of the chains c and the steps or supports c2, may be arranged closely adjacent to the building, and the chains c may be connected by a plurality of rods arranged closely adjacent and bymeans of which parties escaping from the building may hold themselves on the steps ory supports c2, and

made without departing from the spirit ofV our invention or sacrificing its advantages,

terations therein as fairly come Within the and we reserve the right to make all such aland while a pull on the wire or cord /t will close the valve and stop the motion of the endless member,with which the steps or supports c2 are connected, the said' valve will be automatically opened on releasing the cord or wire h5 by the spring aand the apparatus will again operate, as hereinbefore described.

Having'fully described our nvention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letl ters Patent, is

1. In a fire-escape apparatus, a main shaft, supplemental shafts supported parallel therewith and thereunderand geared in connection therewith and provided with sprocket-wheels,

an endless member mounted on said sprocketwheels, other wheels supported belowI the supplemental shafts and around which the endless member passes, folding steps connected with said endless member, means for holding said folding steps in a horizontal position, and a 'brake device in operative connection with the main shaft for regulating the movement of the endless member, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a fire-escape apparatus, the combination .with the top of the wall of a building, of supports, a main shaft supported thereby sup'- plemental vparallel shafts supported at the opposite sides of the main shaft and below the same and geared in connection therewith and provided with sprocket-wheels, supplemental sprocket-wheels supported beneath the supplemental shafts, an endless member mounted on the supplemental shafts and passed around the supplemental sprocket-Wheels and provided with folding steps, the wall of the building being also provided with extensible platforms, step-guides arranged between the walls of the building and the endless member and devices in operative connection with the main shaft for regulating the movement of the endless member, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a lire-escape apparatus, the combination with the top of the wall of abuilding, of

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plemental shafts, an endless member mounted on the supplemental shafts and passed around the supplemental sprocketwheels and provided with folding steps, the walls of the building being also provided with extensible platforms.l step-guides arranged between the walls of the building and the endless member and means for regulating the movement of the end-l posite sides of the main shaft and below the same and geared in connection therewith and provided with sprocket-wheels, supplemental sprocket-wheels supported beneath the supplemental shafts, an endless member mounted on the supplemental shafts and passed around the supplemental sprocket-wheels and provided with folding steps, the walls of the building being also provided with extensible platforms, step-guides arranged between the walls of the building and the endless member, and means for regulating the movement of the endless member, consisting of an air-brake device geared in connection with the main shaft, the extensible platforms being also provided with hinged depending members with which are pivotally connected braces connected with the walls of the building, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a fire-escape apparatus, the combination with the top of the wall of a building, of supports, a main shaft supported thereby, supplemental parallel shafts mounted at the opposite sides of the main shaft and below the same and geared in connection therewith and provided with sprocket-wheels, supplemental guide-wheels supported beneath thc supplemental shafts, an endless member mounted on the sprocket-wheels of the supplemental shafts and passing around the supplemental guidewheels and provided with folding steps, the walls of the building being also provided with platforms, stepguides arranged between the walls of the building and the endless member, and devices in operative connection with the main shaft for regulating the movement of the endless member, the platforms being` also provided with hinged depending' members with which are pivotally connected braces secured to the walls of the building, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention we have signed our names, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 30th day of January, 1904.

HANS A. HANSEN. DIDRIK N. SIHE.

Witnesses:

F. A. STEWART, C. E. MULREANY. 

